Chapter: 29 Akame

As Bane and Najenda approached the black-haired girl, The girl stood up from chair and turned her gaze towards their way. Najenda greeted the girl with a smile and waved her hand in acknowledgment.

"Yo, Akame, it looks like you've caught yourself a delicious prey," Najenda remarked with a smile.

The girl remained silent and simply tore another leg piece from the large beast, gesturing towards Najenda.

Najenda shook her head slightly and said, "Not now, Akame. I have other important matters to attend to first. Give me an update on the other Night Raid members currently inside the base, and also report the results of the previous assignment I gave to Night Raid members two weeks ago." She delivered her instructions to Akame efficiently, wasting no time in getting to the point.

Bane, now standing near the girl, took in her appearance fully. She was a striking teenager with long, dark black hair that flowed down to her knees and deep crimson red eyes that seemed to hold a mysterious allure.

She was dressed in a sleeveless black top that complemented her skirt and a striking red tie around her neck, adding a touch of colour to her attire. Completing her look was a belt cinched at her waist, from which a curved blade hung, a subtle yet potent symbol of her expertise in combat.

However, it was the long sheathed Katana at the girl's waist that captivated Bane the most. The Katana itself was simple, and yet it exuded an aura of danger that was hard to ignore for him. 

As Bane focused on the Katana, he found himself momentarily lost in its presence, feeling a sense of foreboding, as if the blade itself was imbued with a thick aura of death.

"It must be a dangerous high grade artifact like Jörmungandr," Bane thought to himself, his gaze fixed on the katana. "But why do I feel like this blade could easily end my life?" This feeling lingered in his mind as he tried to shake off the ominous sensation.

Despite having an incredible healing factor, Bane knew that he was far from invincible. His healing abilities were impressive, allowing him to recover from wounds that would be fatal to most, but there were still limits to his regeneration.

Bane has a premonition that if his head were ever to be separated from his body or if he were crushed instantly, he wouldn't be able to trigger his natural regeneration, leading to his demise.

Moreover, Bane knew his regeneration wasn't unlimited. Continuous attacks could slow down his regenerative abilities over time, resulting in slower healing. The only way to reinvigorate his regeneration was to consume a substantial amount of food.

Bane wasn't oblivious to the fact that he wasn't the sole bearer of extraordinary abilities. In a world teeming with individuals, danger beasts, and artifacts wielding supernatural powers, his missions unveiled that his regenerative capabilities weren't as rare as he once believed. There were others out there with similar gifts.

Even setting aside the realm of the supernatural, figures like Najenda had transcended the boundaries of ordinary humanity, demonstrating that numerous individuals could easily dispatch him if they employed the right tactics in combat.

Furthermore, Bane mulled over the notion that if that deranged scientist could engineer someone like him, it was conceivable that he had created other people like him with similar unique powers. 

This realisation alone had prompted him to heighten his vigilance during missions within the revolutionary army and pursue his personal objectives during downtime between assignments.

Bane halted his contemplations and directed his attention to Akame's briefing on the whereabouts of the Night Raid members and the details of the recent operation. 

"Bulat is training on the grounds, Sheele is likely engrossed in books with Mine in the halls, Leone is near the lake for bathing, and Lubbock is, well, probably attempting to peek at Leone again while she bathes," Akame reported before continuing. We successfully carried out the operation, but Leone convinced us to bring three people back to the base once the mission was over."

After hearing Akame's explanation, Najenda's eyes twitched slightly, and a smile formed across Najenda's face, though it was clear that it was not a happy one. 

"Leone will handle Lubbock as usual, but how can she bring three unknown individuals to the base? And why is the assignment I instructed her to complete still two days late? 

As the mission's leader of the previous operation, she should have finished her task within the given timeframe," Najenda said, while thinking of which punishment she should prepare for Leone.

Akame, sensing Najenda's need for more information, explained further. "Leone mentioned that she encountered the boy during the day when we initiated the operation. She claimed that he was just an innocent villager seeking employment in the imperial military."

Najenda's brow furrowed as she pressed for more details. "What was her rationale for bringing the boy to our base? Elaborate on it."

"At the time of the assassination, the boy believed the girl he was shielding was innocent. Consequently, he positioned himself in my path.Though he wasn't my target, he persistently defended the girl, engaging in combat with me, enduring numerous sword strikes, and even evading a lethal blow from my Murasame. 

I intended to eliminate him to clear the way towards the girl, but Leone intervened, and assumed responsibility for the boy's presence, and brought him along with two others to our base," Akame explained calmly, eliciting a subtle expression of astonishment from Najenda.

Najenda's eyebrow arched in astonishment, realising that the boy had not only faced Akame but also managed to survive against her, who was a former member of the elite seven, a master assassin wielding the deadly Teigu 'Murasame'.

"And who are the other two people you've brought?" Najenda asked, her curiosity piqued. 

Akame shifted her gaze to Bane and then back to Najenda, silently seeking permission to provide more details in front of him.

"You may continue. Bane is a trusted soldier from the revolutionary army with years of service," Najenda said, gesturing towards Bane.

Akame nodded and continued, "The other two individuals we brought to the base are the boy's friends. They were found inside a shed in the mansion's backyard, which the family used to house their victims. But both of them had already suffered severe torture at the hands of the family and especially one of them on the verge of death."

Najenda remained silent for a moment, recognizing the grim outlook for the boy's friends. Despite this, she asked, "Are the boy's friends currently receiving medical care at our base? What is their condition?"

"They are in the medical room," Akame confirmed. "...However, their conditions are critical, and they cannot be saved. Ieyasu, who is one of them, is in the final stages of the Lubora disease, which is injected to him by the mansion's mistress."

Akame paused for a moment, and then continued, "While Sayo, his female friend, is in an even more critical condition. She had suffered a more brutal torture at the hands of the mistress's daughter, resulting in severe injuries and significant blood loss that is beyond any recovery."

Bane remained stoic, showing no visible reaction to Akame's description. Having witnessed countless atrocities during his missions, he was accustomed to such horrors, knowing all too well that the current empire is rife with such cases.

Najenda who had also seen her fair share of such incidents did not lose her composure, she fell silent for a moment, contemplating her next steps. "Alright, gather all the members in the medical room. I need to hear the full details from everyone before deciding what to do with the boy," she instructed. 

Turning to Bane, she added, "Come with me, Bane. I'll show you to your room, which is on the way to the medical room. You should rest for now since you've just arrived. I'll resolve this matter first and then introduce you to your new squadmates."

As Bane was about to nod in agreement, a hand gently rested on his hood, stroking his head. Startled, he looked to see the person accountable — his aquamarine eyes locking with the pair of crimson red ones, featuring a remarkably impassive expression.

"What are you doing?" Bane asked, confused by the girl's actions.

"Caressing your head," Akame replied calmly, continuing to stroke his head. "Hmm, would you like some bird meat?" she offered, gesturing with a piece of meat towards Bane.

"No—grrrrrrr," Bane attempted to decline the offer, but the growling that came from his stomach betrayed him. It appears that the long journey had left his stomach empty, requiring a substantial amount of food to satisfy it.

"....."

After a prolonged, tense silence, Bane just accepted the piece of meat and began to devour it through his mask, while avoiding looking at the black-haired girl.

Meanwhile, the girl with black hair continued to stroke his head gently as he ate. Bane couldn't comprehend why this girl was being so kind to him, especially considering it was their first meeting. However, he decided not to dwell on it and instead focused on devouring the meat.

To an outsider, the scene might have seemed heartwarming, but only if they were unaware of the backgrounds of the two teenagers involved. 

While one was the famous and feared master assassin known as 'Akame of the Demon Sword,' and responsible for countless deaths with her lethal blade 'Murasame'. 

The other was none other than the enigmatic 'Immortal Wraith,' renowned not only for his remarkable survivability in missions, but also for his brutal torture methods and the trail of bloodshed he left behind.

"It seems like Akame is fond of her new teammate," Najenda commented as she observed the interaction between the two during their initial encounter.

However, internally, Najenda understood the underlying reason for Akame's sudden display of affection towards Bane, which could be also easily noticeable by other Night Raid members. 

All of the Night Raid members knew that Akame takes time to warm up to new teammates, as she harbours fears about their survival during missions. And this cautious approach often leads her to appear cold and distant when interacting with new recruits.

But Bane, who was currently receiving a gentle caress on his head from Akame, was a different case altogether. 

It is because Bane who had a slim build bore a striking physical resemblance to someone Akame both loved deeply and harboured a strong desire to..... Kill.